Yesterday’s Advisor featured key training topics 1 to 4; today, we’ll cover topics 5 and 6 and we’ll introduce the new, full-function total training resource, Training Today.
5. Documentation
Why it’s a problem. Documentation a pain, it’s not an immediate issue, managers don’t know what to write, and no one’s checking to see whether it gets done.
When documentation shows a clear record of poor performance or poor behavior, and shows that an employee had ample opportunity to improve, companies can mount a strong defense to a lawsuit for discrimination or wrongful discharge, for example.
However, when documentation is scant, sloppy, or—worst case—nonexistent, defending yourself is nearly impossible. Unfortunately, juries expect that companies will be organized and orderly in the way that they conduct business. They assume that if there was something important to write down the manager would have written it.
Documentation that is written at the time of the event, and that is business-like (that is, signed, dated, formal) will be accepted. Documentation written after the fact, undated, unsigned, and messy will not.
Bad Documentation
And then there’s another kind of documentation—bad documentation, or “smoking gun.” For example: e-mail that says,
“He’s too old for this job; get me someone younger.”
“She’s just going to get pregnant on us, hire the guy instead.”
Or maybe not smoking gun level, but still potentially dangerous: A margin note on a resume, written just as a reminder, “Heavy black woman.”
Plaintiffs’ attorneys slaver when they see this kind of documentation.
What to do? Train, train, train. Give managers examples of what documentation should look like.
Hard to Get a Handle on Training? Now TrainingToday helps you structure a highly-organized, professionally developed training program for all your employees. Find out more.
6. Firing
Why it’s a problem: It’s often done in haste, without thinking the ramifications through. It’s (duh) what most gets employees in a suing frame of mind.
Common mistakes:
- Person fired for an offense for which there is poor or no documentation
- Company executives give conflicting reasons for the termination
- There is retaliation or a perception of retaliation, especially when the terminated employee has recently performed a protected act like making a wage and hour complaint or an EEOC complaint.
- Person fired in a demeaning way in public.
- Person fired for an offense that others have not been fired for, especially if the person terminated is a member of a protected class.
Again, managers and supervisors have to be trained. Probably the best training to give is this simple: If you are contemplating a termination, go to HR to discuss it before taking action.
Yes, like most things in HR, the key to success is manager/supervisor training. But who has the budget and time to organize a full-blown training program?
Good news from BLR—now you can run your training program like a pro, with our new TrainingToday system.
TrainingToday is a leading provider of online education programs for employees and supervisors. Each course in our extensive library addresses a specific topic with engaging and interactive presentations, delivering practical advice and clear instructions that trainees will remember long after the training is complete.
Three Delivery Platforms
TrainingToday offers you the option of three delivery platforms to meet your organization’s needs:
Professional
- Unlimited training for your whole organization for one flat fee
- Easy to start up and track trainee progress
- Hundreds of courses available, from employment law compliance to sales excellence
Enterprise
The Enterprise includes all the features of the Professional Version plus:
- Track and report capability with built-in comprehensive Learning Management System
- Train with courses as they are, or make them truly your own with our customization options
- Upload your own content (power point, video, SCORM files, etc) to the LMS in addition to using our comprehensive training courses
SCORM
- Integrate content into your existing LMS
- Easy to tailor to your content, logo, presentation style, and corporate policies
- SCORM compliant to integrate with existing corporate learning systems
Looking to take your training program to the next level? Let TrainingToday help you manage a dynamite training program—enroll in our Instant Trainer Webinar Series and learn what it takes to make the most of every training dollar. Ready to learn more about TrainingToday? Sign up for one of our Product Demonstration Webinars
Here are just some of the many courses available at TrainingToday:
[Click here to download information on all courses and libraries.]
Over 75 HR and employment training courses covering topics such as: Sexual Harassment, Diversity, and ADA.
The Diversity library is an interactive training program with different modules for supervisors and employees. It features real-world scenarios and insightful commentary from a leading workplace expert and employment law attorney.
Preventing Sexual Harassment- National – NEW!
This library will give you everything you need to train your employees, supervisors, and managers on how to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. Several training options available for multiple year training.
Leadership Training for Managers and Supervisors
A variety of helpful courses designed to teach valuable management techniques to supervisors.
Leadership for Employees
Provides tools and information to employees in a leadership position, or aspiring leaders, to improve their business, leadership, and professional skills.
Includes customer service training courses covering topics such as: Phone Skills, Handling Complaints,Identifying Customer Needs and Team Building.
Includes wellness training courses covering topics such as: Creating a Successful Wellness Program, Balancing Work and Home, Healthy Aging, and Hazards of Smoking: How to Quit.
HR Video Training for Supervisors
These HR video supervisory training courses provide expert advice from practicing licensed attorneys on topics such as hiring, firing, privacy, discrimination, sexual harassment and more.
Over 90 workplace safety training courses covering topics such as: Slips, Trips, and Falls, HazCom, and Forklift Safety.
Sales – NEW!
The Sales Training library consists of 12 courses, everything you need to build a top-notch sales staff!
Looking to take your training program to the next level or need to convince your organization that training is critical to long term success—enroll in our Instant Trainer Webinar Series and learn what it takes to make the most of every training dollar. Ready to learn more about TrainingToday? Sign up for one of our Product Demonstration Webinars.
“Documentation a pain, it’s not an immediate issue …” That attitude that documentation isn’t an immediate issue is, I think, one of the major problems. Managers need to feel a sense of urgency about documentation–the more time that goes by, the more likely they are to either forget important details or let the documentation slide altogether.